Waking up several times during the night with itchy skin, Mr and Mrs E (whose names have been withheld) have not had a good nights sleep in almost a year. They have tried everything from tossing out their belongings including bedding replacing the wooden bed with a metal-framed one, and flea bombing their subdivided apartment numerous times. But they still cant get rid of their unwanted intruders, bed bugs.
Watch Hong Kong is Disneyland for bed bugs video
Theyre getting desperate, because Mrs E is pregnant and due to give birth any day. On a visit to their cramped apartment in Cheung Sha Wan with Francisco Pazos, head technician of pest control company nobedbugs-hk.com, Pazos lifts the blanket and immediately sees the small dark insects crawling on the bed. Many more appear as he moves the mattress.
Judging by the amount of droppings, Pazos estimates there are more than a million bed bugs in the apartment, and classifies the case as an extreme infestation. The neighbouring apartments are likely to be crawling in them, he says.
Bed bugs (Cimex hemipterus) feed on blood, are arguably the most irritating household pests, and are indiscriminate lodgers. They can be found in all types of homes, clean or dirty, big or small.
Pazos next takes us to a luxurious, 3,700 sq ft Mid-Levels flat. One of two domestic helpers suspects the critters hitchhiked to Hong Kong with her employer when he returned from a trip to the mainland. The parasites have since spread to all of the bedrooms.
Bed bug infestations are on the rise - and the pests are hard to kill
Hong Kong is on the verge of a major bed bug epidemic, Pazos warns. There are only two types of households in Hong Kong: those who have bed bugs and those who will have bed bugs.
The Spanish expert, who has dealt with the pests for more than 10 years, says the city is a Disneyland for bed bugs because the high population density and small, cluttered homes are perfect breeding conditions. Seams of mattresses, crevices in furniture and cracks between floorboards are all ideal hiding places for bed bugs.
Pazo says his team receives more than 500 phone enquiries a month. They visit some districts more frequently, such as Tung Chung and Ho Man Tin, but Pazos says this is not a reflection of how severe the problem is in these areas. Rather, middle-class families in these neighbourhoods are more likely to have the financial means to pay for treatment. The cost ranges from HK$1,500 to HK$18,000, depending on the type of treatment, size of the home and the level of infestation.
The resurgence of bed bugs is a worldwide problem. They were almost wiped out in the 1960s through use of the pesticide DDT. The pesticide was later found to have wide-ranging harmful effects, and was banned worldwide in 2001 under the Stockholm Convention. Since then, the critters have made a comeback.
We experienced a sudden reappearance around 2000, followed by rapid population growth, mirrored across most of Europe, the US, Canada and Australia, says Dr Richard Naylor, an entomologist from University of Sheffield, in northern England, who studies the bloodsuckers behaviour.
One theory about the spread of bed bugs in Hong Kong is that they are imported from the mainland, where migrant workers dormitories and trains have spread the pest rapidly across the country. Shenzhen has a large immigrant population and many factory dorms, where bed bug infestations are often reported. Considering its vicinity to Hong Kong, the risk of bed bugs spreading from Shenzhen to Hong Kong is high, says Dr Changlu Wang, an entomologist from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
New York, with a population density comparable to Hong Kongs, suffered a mass infestation in 2010, when bedbugs were reported in hotels, shops and cinemas. City authorities had received more than 8,000 complaints in 2008 alone.
Sleeping in McDonalds better than in a bug-infested bed at home, says Hong Kong McSleeper
Statistics on the number of homes affected are difficult to obtain because many sufferers are too embarrassed to report the problem. There is a stigma surrounding bed bugs. People believe that they are associated with dirty places, which isnt true. But because of this, people tend not to talk about the problem, Naylor says.
Some people may be aware of the problem because not everyone reacts to their bite.
Cheung (who didnt want her full name revealed) took her eight-year-old son to two doctors when he developed rashes on his skin. One doctor laughed off the suggestion the rash could have been caused by insect bites.
Our youngest son was being eaten alive and was misdiagnosed by two different doctors, who put him on antihistamines for several weeks, Cheung says. The drugs made him drowsy but his rashes just got worse. The cause was only discovered after another of Cheungs sons got rashes from bites, and they did some online research.
The easiest way to tell if you have a bed bug problem is by looking for droppings pin head sized black dots normally found on bedsheets, Pazos says. Another way is to blow hot air from a hairdryer into the corners of a wooden bed, which will flush them out. They are typically brown and flat, and up to 4.5mm long.
Bed bugs possess many qualities that make them hard to get rid of. Containing an infestation is notoriously difficult due to how quickly they grow and reproduce. An adult female bed bug can lay about 25 eggs a week. The life cycle from egg to adult takes about six weeks, which means if a single female bug finds its way into your bed, it can keep on laying fertile eggs, and by the time its ready to mate again, its own offspring will be reaching maturity, Naylor says.
This ability to inbreed means they can mutate, and produce stronger detoxifying enzymes that can break down insecticides. They can grow a thicker protective exterior that prevents insecticides from harming them.
Modern populations of bed bugs now have widespread resistance to every major class of insecticide, Naylor says. So its not surprising that people are struggling to control the insects using conventional insecticides.
Most of Pazos clients have already tried terminating bedbugs with flea bombs or by employing pest control companies, to no avail. [Flea bombing] is the worst thing you can do, Pazos says. They feel uncomfortable and will stop feeding for a night or two, but they will come back when they are hungry. It only makes them more difficult to kill because they hide deeper inside the walls.
Pazos has found another way of combating bed bugs that he says has been particularly effective. He uses an amorphous silicon gel powder, which he dusts on every surfaces of an infected apartment, and kills the insects by dehydrating them. It is completely harmless, he says. To prove his point, a colleague dips his finger in the powder and slips it in his mouth. (Not all types of silicon gel are non-toxic, Pazos stresses.)
Another, more expensive, method, is to raise the temperature of an apartment up to 60 degrees, which Pazos can do using special equipment. It is almost like a sauna, he says. Bedbugs die when the temperature reaches about 48 degrees, but Pazos maintains the heat for three hours so it penetrates walls, furniture and mattresses.
Pasoz shows how the heat treatment works, on a visit the cluttered flat of an elderly couple in Shau Kei Wan. It was one of the worst cases he had seen. When he first visited, the bed bugs, which are normally inactive in daylight, were crawling on the floor. The elderly man, who suffered the most, had thrown out the mattress and was sleeping on plastic sheets to prevent bites.
I wanted to cry seeing how my old man suffered, his wife says.
Its been five weeks since Pazos and his team first visited the flat. They have since done one heat treatment and applied the silicon dust three times. Like a detective on the hunt for evidence, Pazos lifts up the wooden bed panel and, bingo, he finds fresh bedbug droppings.
Despite rounds of chemical warfare and turning up the heat, Pazos job is not yet done.
Tips to deal with bed bugs
See more here:
Is Hong Kong on the verge of a major bed bug epidemic? We talk to ... - South China Morning Post
- Bed Bug Dog detecting bed bugs in New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs Reported At New York Victoria's Secret [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs Invade Ohio, NYC Theater [Last Updated On: May 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 12th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs New York Treatment [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Lou Sorkin Discusses: What's the Deal with Bed Bugs in New York City? [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs New York - Bed Bugs in the Big Apple [Last Updated On: May 31st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 31st, 2011]
- New York Bed Bugs [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2011]
- NESDCA Bed Bug Dogs -- Getting Rid of Bed Bugs in Offices and Homes in New York [Last Updated On: June 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 15th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs NYC - Call 914-834-1722 [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs Love New York Too! [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2011]
- Mattress Covers for Bed Bugs in New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago.mp4 [Last Updated On: June 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 20th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs: Treatment [Last Updated On: July 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 6th, 2011]
- Louisiana Oil Spill-Bed buds in New York-July 2, 2010.MP4 [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs Invading NYC [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2011]
- Bed Bugs 101 [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2011]
- New York Bed Bugs.mp4 [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2011]
- New York's 2011 Bed Bug Reports Growing - News - July 11, 2011 [Last Updated On: August 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 23rd, 2011]
- Jeff's 180 - Bed Bug Pesticide Resistance in New York [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2011]
- New York Bed Bug Extermination Experts - 347-354-1755 [Last Updated On: September 21st, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 21st, 2011]
- bed bugs new york city - Video [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2011]
- Bed Bug Bites Brooklyn New York - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- Bed Bug Removal NJ - Bed Bugs in New Jersey - Video [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2011]
- New York Bed Bug Dog - Demonstration of Canine Bed Bug Scent Detection -- Daisy, Midas [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2011]
- New York Bed Bug Kit Part 2 - Video [Last Updated On: November 16th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 16th, 2011]
- BedBug Removal In New York / Westchester / New Jersey Bed Bug Pest Control Exterminator - Video [Last Updated On: December 6th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 6th, 2011]
- New York Bed Bug Kit Part 1 - Video [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2012]
- NFL action was awesome; goals aplenty [Last Updated On: January 28th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 28th, 2012]
- NPMA’s Eastern Conference Highlights Speeches By Industry Notables [Last Updated On: January 29th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 29th, 2012]
- Laundry Detergent Additive Is A First Line Of Defense Against Bedbugs Says New Planet Amazing Report [Last Updated On: January 29th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 29th, 2012]
- Saratoga Springs seeks answers on housing head's salary [Last Updated On: January 29th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 29th, 2012]
- BedBug Shredder Brings a New Three Step Solution for Killing BedBugs [Last Updated On: January 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 30th, 2012]
- RxProtect Team Announces Bed Bug Heat Treatment Franchise Program [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2012]
- Louisiana family battles bed bugs [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2012]
- 22 Classic Board Game Commercials More Fun Than Their Games [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2012]
- NYC Housing Court Kills Bed Bugs - Video [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2012]
- How Much Is A Bed Bug Exterminator? BedBugExterminator911.com Breaks It Down In Free Webinar Series [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2012]
- "Bed Bug Exterminator" Webinar Released For Bed Bug Sufferers From BedBugExterminator911.com [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2012]
- Not Sure About The Exact Bed Bug Exterminator Cost Of A Bed Bug Problem? BedBugExterminator911.com Reveals Procedures ... [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2012]
- Don’t let bed bugs bite, Region says [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2012]
- Get Rid of Bed Bugs Naturally Without Using Pesticides, BedBugExterminator911.com Reveals Exterminators Secrets [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2012]
- Best Bedbug Cures Are Now Non-Toxic Says New Report from Planet Amazing [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2012]
- Top Entomologists Call 2012 Pivotal Year in Bed Bug War [Last Updated On: February 29th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 29th, 2012]
- According to Rest Assured MC, Freezing Bed Bugs with Cryonite will Become One of the Most Popular Methods for Killing ... [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2012]
- Bed Bugs NYC (718) 303 1052 Bed Bugs New York - Video [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2012]
- Alco NJ Animal and Pest Control Expands into New York in 2012 while Bed Bugs Expand Across the East Coast [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2012]
- A&E Network Premieres the New Original Real Life Series "Rambug" Following a Family of New York City Exterminators on ... [Last Updated On: March 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 13th, 2012]
- Nina In New York: Bed Bug Torment [Last Updated On: March 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 14th, 2012]
- REPORT: Cincinnati ranks #1 for bed bugs [Last Updated On: March 16th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 16th, 2012]
- San Diego Lets the Bed Bugs Bite [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2012]
- Bed bugs singin' 'We love L.A.' [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2012]
- Study: LA Ranks 5th Among Top Bed Bug Cities In America [Last Updated On: March 21st, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 21st, 2012]
- Bed bugs spotted in UTSA housing [Last Updated On: March 22nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 22nd, 2012]
- Recent Bed Bug List Provides Insight, but Unseasonably Warm Winter has Experts Worried About Populations for Summer [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2012]
- Bed bugs rampant locally, nationally and globally [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2012]
- Bed bugs are back - and UC Davis has answers [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2012]
- Bedbug Complaints To The City Are Down, Problem Far From Eradicated [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2012]
- Number of Bed Bug Complaints Drops in New York, BedBugBully.com Points Out the Reason [Last Updated On: April 29th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 29th, 2012]
- Nina In New York: We’ve Won The War On Imaginary Bed Bugs [Last Updated On: May 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 1st, 2012]
- Hotel pet peeves from host of 'Hotel Impossible' [Last Updated On: May 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 1st, 2012]
- 'Hotel Impossible': TV show host lists pet peeves [Last Updated On: May 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 1st, 2012]
- Nina In New York: Apparently, Liquor Is Like Kryptonite To Bed Bugs [Last Updated On: June 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 5th, 2012]
- Indy on list of bed bug-infested cities [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2012]
- Cincinnati ranks #2 for bed bugs [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2012]
- Mobile society contributes to Cincinnati's bed bug program [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2012]
- Start Scratching! Pest Control Company Names Philadelphia Most Bed Bug Infested City [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2012]
- Statistic You Probably Didn't Want to Hear: More Bed Bugs in D.C. [Last Updated On: June 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 15th, 2012]
- Study: D.C. bed bug problem increasingly worse [Last Updated On: June 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: June 15th, 2012]
- Anatomy of an Online Flash Sale Addict [Last Updated On: October 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 2nd, 2012]
- Dogs trained to find bed bugs near OIA [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2012]
- Early Halloween Blowout: MyCleaningProducts Starts Giving Out 31% Bed Bug Bully Price-Cut [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 10th, 2012]
- Pest Control NYC - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs - Call 914-834-1722 - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Bed Bug Exterminator NYC | Bed Bug Treatment | Pest Control New York [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2013] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2013]
- Bed Bugs in New York City | New York vs Bed Bugs [Last Updated On: November 6th, 2013] [Originally Added On: November 6th, 2013]
- New York's DFS Battling Bed Bugs - PCT - Pest Control Technology [Last Updated On: November 27th, 2013] [Originally Added On: November 27th, 2013]
- Reports of Bed Bugs in New York City Hotels - New York City ... [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2013] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2013]
- New York Bed Bugs | A Complete Guide to Bed Bugs in New York [Last Updated On: December 6th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 6th, 2013]
- Quick Tips On Bed Bugs In Hotels From Gotcha Bed Bug Inspectors [Last Updated On: December 17th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 17th, 2013]
- New York Bed Bug Kit - Free Shipping - DoMyOwnPestControl.com [Last Updated On: January 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 9th, 2014]
- Bed Bugs in New York – A City Guide | Bed Bugs [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2014]